The Ferrari SP (also known as the Ferrari Dino SP) was a series of Italian sports prototype racing cars produced by Ferrari during the early 1960s. All featured a rear mid-engine layout, a first for a Ferrari sports car. Major racing accolades include the 1962 European Hill Climb Championship, two overall Targa Florio victories, in 1961 and 1962, and "1962 Coupe des Sports" title.
At first the SP-series used Vittorio Jano-designed, V6 Dino engines in both SOHC 60° and DOHC 65° forms. Later, Ferrari introduced a new SOHC 90° V8 engine designed by Carlo Chiti. All used dry sump lubrication and were mated to a 5-speed manual transmission.
In total only six chassis were produced with various engine configurations. Many times they were modified and converted into a different specification. The tubular steel chassis, tipo 561, featured all-round independent suspension and disc brakes. All shared the same wheelbase and open body style with some variations.
The rear mid-engine layout experience was soon carried over to the V12-powered Ferrari P-series of sports prototypes. They arrived in 1963. Later, by 1965, Ferrari introduced their first mid-engined Dino sports prototype, the 166 P, powered by a V6 engine. The Chiti V8 engine did not carry over to any successor.
246 SP
At the 1961 special press conference, Ferrari unveiled their first mid-engined sports car, the Ferrari 246 SP. Although the front-engined 250 Testa Rossa had many racing successes during the late 1950s, the emergence of rear engine competitors in Grand Prix and sports car racing indicated that Ferrari required new design to stay competitive. Enzo Ferrari publicly denied in January 1959 that a rear engine car was in the works, however during this same year he privately tasked Carlo Chiti with developing both a rear engine Formula One car and a rear engine sports car, to be introduced by the 1961 racing season. Chiti decided Jano's existing 2.4 litre 65° Dino V6 design was suitable for use in both of these designs, due to its light weight and compact size. Development work proceeded through 1960 and early 1961, with the 246 SP completed in time for the 13 February 1961 press conference where it was introduced to the public. The model proved its capabilities at the 1961 Targa Florio, which Wolfgang von Trips and Olivier Gendebien had won outright. With this the 246 SP scored one more point for the 1961 World Sportscar Championship for Ferrari. For the 1962 World Sportscar Championship in the Sportscar class cars under 3000 cc, the 246 SP won two out of three rounds, including the 1962 Targa Florio and "1962 Coupe des Sports" title for Ferrari. Only two cars were produced (chassis 0790 and 0796) and both were later converted into other types, with 0790 becoming a 196 SP in early 1963 and 0796 becoming a 250 P test mule before being destroyed in a crash.
Bodywork
The 246 SP's bodywork was a collaboration between Carlo Chiti and Medardo Fantuzzi, the owner of the Carrozzeria Fantuzzi. During the design process, solutions to reduce drag were tested in a wind tunnel. This resulted in the adoption of several new, innovative features, including a very low bonnet, high rear bodywork flush with the windscreen top and a vertical tail fin. A prominent detail were the two apertures, or air intakes in the front of the car. This solution was concurrently introduced on the 1961 Ferrari 156 Formula One car, dubbed the "sharknose," and on the 1961 250 TRI61. This front end styling had first appeared on a trio of Maserati 250Fs that Fantuzzi re-bodied in 1958 for racer Ross Jensen and team owner Temple Buell (son of the architect with the same name). Fantuzzi's suggestion that the twin intakes would improve air penetration was confirmed by Chiti's wind tunnel testing, leading to the adoption of this style throughout Ferrari's 1961 racing cars.
The bodywork was hand-shaped in Fantuzzi's workshop from 22 gauge aluminium sheet over wire forms. Major panels were designed to be detachable for easy maintenance access. Fantuzzi assigned one individual worker to oversee construction of each body shell. This division of labor, coupled with the use of traditional hand-built fabrication, resulted in slight differences between individual bodies.
During the course of early testing by Wolfgang von Trips and Ritchie Ginther, Ferrari engineers discovered that the aerodynamics of the body caused instability at high speeds. This aerodynamic instability was thought to be the cause of a dramatic rollover crash during testing at Modena Autodrome, which resulted in bruising for test driver von Trips and minor cosmetic damage to the vehicle. The issue was solved by the removal of the vertical fin seen at the car's introduction and the addition of a tall rear spoiler, suggested by Ginther based on his wartime experience with aircraft.
For the 1962 racing season, Ferrari introduced a slightly changed body style for all Dino SP cars, including the two 246 SPs which were re-bodied. All windscreens and rear bodywork were lowered in response to an FIA regulation change, improving aerodynamics and driver visibility. Chassis 0796 received a body with a slightly longer front end (often called the "long-nose" style), matching those of the newer SP-series cars, however 0790 remained with the earlier "short-nose" front bodywork.
Numerous other body modifications were performed during the course of the 246 SP's competition career, including many changes in intake/vent configuration to optimize air flow to the engine, brakes and driver. All SPs retained the "sharknose" front end until 1963, when even the 246 SPs were converted to a single front intake style. Windshield heights were also changed and side windows modified and/or removed, in order to improve visibility and cockpit temperatures. Despite these improvements, the 246 SP gained a reputation for having an extremely hot cockpit, with von Trips reportedly remarking "You could grow tomatoes in the cockpit during a seven-hour race."
Engine and transmission The engine, mounted longitudinally and amidships, was a Tipo 171S 65° Dino V6 unit based on the earlier Tipo 143 used in the 246 F1. The block and heads were cast from Silumin alloy. The total capacity of from of bore and stroke was the same as the engines used in the 246 F1 and the 1960 Dino 246 S. The 65° engine had twin overhead camshafts per cylinder bank driven by a timing chain, two valves per cylinder, and a 9.8:1 compression ratio. Resulting power was at 8000 rpm. The engine was fed by three Weber 42DCN carburettors and used two 14mm Marchal spark plugs per cylinder with two coils and Magnetti Marelli distributors. A dry sump lubrication system was used, with pumps for oil pressure/scavenging driven off the cams. The oil cooler and reservoir were located in the front of the vehicle. Two engine short blocks were manufactured for each 246 SP chassis, with a single set of cylinder heads swapped between them as needed.
The 246 SP used a 5 speed transaxle designed by Engineer Giorgio Salvarani, similar to that used in the 156 F1. It was mounted to the rear of the car, behind the engine. It integrated in a compact package 5 straight cut, non-synchromesh forward gears, one reverse gear, a hydraulically actuated multi-plate clutch, a ZF-style limited slip differential and mountings for inboard disc brakes. This transmission was shared among all Dino SP series cars.
Chassis, suspension and brakes The 246 SP chassis was a tubular space frame constructed from round steel tubing by oxygen-acetylene welding. Durability was prioritized over weight savings during chassis design and construction, as Ferrari engineers attempted to ensure reliability during harsh endurance races. Fully independent double wishbone suspension was used on all four corners, with coil springs and Koni shock absorbers. The suspension design was extremely similar to that of the 156 F1. Rack and pinon steering was also used, a new technology for Ferrari.
Disc brakes manufactured by Dunlop were used on both the front and rear. Front and rear discs were both in diameter. Front discs were conventionally mounted outboard at the hub uprights, while the rear brakes were mounted inboard at the transaxle.
Racing
Chassis 0790
The first example produced, s/n 0790 was presented at the 1961 press conference. Its first outing after a couple of tests was the 12 Hours of Sebring, with Richie Ginther and Wolfgang von Trips driving. Although the car performed well, comfortably leading the field 3 hours into the race, it did not finish due to von Trips breaking a steering arm after jumping a curb and going off-track. The first major victory for the car and its series came at the 1961 Targa Florio race. The winning team consisted of Wolfgang von Trips, Richie Ginther and Olivier Gendebien. Later, the same trio scored a third place in the 1000 km Nürburgring despite engine and handling issues caused by wet, cold weather. The 246 SP 0790 was entered in the 1961 24 Hours of Le Mans with Ginther and von Trips as drivers. They managed to set the fastest lap in practice but retired when the car ran out of fuel on the Mulsanne straight due to a miscalculation. Later the same year, another broken steering component during practice prevented Richie Ginther and Giancarlo Baghetti from completing the 4 Hours of Pescara.
1962 started slowly, when an engine problem hindered the Rodriguez brothers from completing the 12 Hours of Sebring, in which they represented the N.A.R.T. team. Later in May, Phil Hill and Olivier Gendebien took a first place at the 1000 km Nürburgring, again under rainy conditions. 0790 was then airfreighted to Mosport Park to compete in the Players 200 Trophy race with driver Innes Ireland. Ireland retired on lap 13 with engine problems. In August, Mike Parkes won the Guards Trophy at the Brands Hatch, driving 0790 against Innes Ireland's Lotus 19. By 1963, 0790 was converted into 196 SP specification.
Chassis 0796 The second car of the series, s/n 0796, was also built in 1961. It competed alongside 0790 in the 1961 Targa Florio, driven by Phil Hill and Olivier Gendebien, but crashed during the first lap with Hill driving. After the car was re-bodied, Hill and von Trips competed at the 1961 1000 km Nürburgring, but again retired after a crash with Hill at the wheel. 0796 was not seen in competition until the following season.
In 1962 Phil Hill and Ricardo Rodríguez drove 0796 for N.A.R.T. at the 3 Hours of Daytona Continental, finishing second. Later the same year, Rodriguez and Gendebien aided by Willy Mairesse won in 0796 at the Targa Florio. Afterwards the car was extensively modified for its Le Mas participation, which it entered but did not finish due to a transmission failure. The Rodriguez brothers retired after 14 hours. By the end of the year 0796 was used as a development mule for the 250 P, having a 3.0-litre V12 engine installed amidships on an extended chassis.
196 SP
The 1962 Ferrari 196 SP was a smaller-engined variation on the original 246 SP design, equipped with a 2.0-litre, SOHC 60° V6 Tipo 190 engine. The 5 speed transmission, chassis, brakes and suspension were all unchanged from the 246 SP. The 196 SP was introduced at Ferrari's 24 February 1962 press conference alongside the 248 SP, 286 SP, the 250 GTO and the 156 F1.
At the model's introduction in 1962, a single 196 SP chassis (s/n 0804) existed. By 1963 chassis 0790, 0802 and 0806 were converted to 196 SP specification, resulting in a total of four of this type made. Thanks to the 196 SP and driver Ludovico Scarfiotti, Ferrari claimed the 1962 European Hill Climb Championship in the Sports Cars class. Scuderia Ferrari 196 SPs also claimed two 2,000 cc class wins at the 1962 and 1963 Targa Florio.
Specifications